Wal-Mart steps up to address one of the most critical technology issues arising from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina - the need to contact those affected. A variety of individuals have attempted to create solutions, but they've quickly been over-run by traffic.
Yesterday Wal-Mart opened a Emergency Contact Service in their stores (Wal-Mart Store, SAMS CLUB, Neighborhood Market, or Distribution Centers) and on the internet to allow Wal-Mart associates and customers to post messages regarding their well-being on their website. Anyone can post or search messages at the web site.
This is in addition to the other significant giving they're doing.
Update: MoveOn.org (an organization I disagree with politically in every way) is pitching in with a much needed service. They've created a Hurricane Housing Exchange. Details at Hurricaid.
Update 2: Wal-Mart kicks in an additional $15 million. RedState has the details...
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Comments (7)
For all the crap Wal-Mart t... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Gizmo | September 1, 2005 11:10 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
For all the crap Wal-Mart takes, I gotta give them credit. When it comes to community service, they to alot of good. In July I served on staff at the 2005 National Boy Scout Jamboree in VA. You probably read the reports of the problems we had with the heat and the arena shows. Well, facing a second arena show, another staffer who was a Wal-mart employee got on the horn with his store... who then went up the food-chain... and the next day several semi-truck loads of bottled water were sent to the Jamboree site free of charge from Wal-Mart. Going to, and from, and during the show everyone had bottled water within easy reach.
1. Posted by Gizmo | September 1, 2005 11:10 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 1, 2005 11:10
2. Posted by tyler | September 1, 2005 11:28 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Yah, WalMart does deserve lots of credit for this. They've had some really bad publicity lately. Obviously they realize that and are attempting to save their image.
2. Posted by tyler | September 1, 2005 11:28 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 1, 2005 11:28
3. Posted by George | September 1, 2005 11:35 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I see Wal-Mart says they donated the use of their parking lot. Oooh.
They are using their inside connectins to have the 20,000 batteries and 20,000 emergency medical kits drop-shipped from China.
3. Posted by George | September 1, 2005 11:35 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 1, 2005 11:35
4. Posted by Crank | September 1, 2005 11:42 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Sometimes, there's no substitute for 'boots on the ground,' and Wal-Mart has the advantage, especially in the South, of having physical locations everywhere.
4. Posted by Crank | September 1, 2005 11:42 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 1, 2005 11:42
5. Posted by Gabriel | September 1, 2005 12:05 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
You know WalMart continualy does more for the communities in which it operates than any company I can think of, and for all of this they get shit on continualy by the media elites and lefty anti-business types.
5. Posted by Gabriel | September 1, 2005 12:05 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 1, 2005 12:05
6. Posted by joe | September 1, 2005 12:06 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
What about Goodyear? Their three blimps have electronic advertising signs on the sides visible from the ground. They should fly over the city in shifts, displaying instructions for where people should be gathering to be evacuated.
6. Posted by joe | September 1, 2005 12:06 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 1, 2005 12:06
7. Posted by ed | September 1, 2005 2:12 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Hmmmm.
"What about Goodyear?"
It's certainly an idea but it might take too long to get them there. They don't fly very fast and they need specialized support to operate at all such as the helium lifting gas.
7. Posted by ed | September 1, 2005 2:12 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 1, 2005 14:12